What tree species?

Healthy urban trees in our region need to be drought tolerant, sized right for the place they will be planted, and provide shade and other benefits. 

Consider these factors:

• How big do you want your tree to be when it is mature?
• What tree form/shape is right for your spot? (Round, weeping, spreading, or upright?)
• How about character, color, and special features? (Evergreen, deciduous, native, flowering, etc.)
• How much time do you have for maintenance?

Kate’s urban forester is working with our local wholesale nursery and local retail nurseries to offer about ten shade trees and six native trees for purchase in late 2022, and the trees under consideration are listed below. More trees suitable for San Diego urban growing conditions are listed in this table of trees. Other trees can be identified by browsing UFEI’s Tree Selection Guide.

Start by choosing the tree size and foliage. Small trees are to be planted in planting space less than 25 feet, medium trees in planting spaces up to 50 feet, and large trees in planting space greater than 50 feet. Measure your planting space. Then check whether you can meet the irrigation and plant hardiness zone requirements. Look up the Western Sunset planting “zone” for your location, in this planting zone map.

Suitable trees have been selected by arborists, grown at local wholesale nurseries, and will be available for purchase in late 2022 at Walter Andersen Nursery at their Old Town location. They are listed in the table below. The mix of species may change but will still be drought-tolerant, easy-to-grow trees, suitable for San Diego’s climate. Click here for tips on going to the nursery and getting your tree.

Native tree selection:

Scientific Name	Common Name	Size
Cercis occidentalis	Western redbud	small
Chilopsis linearis ‘ Monhews‘	Desert willow ‘Timeless Beauty’	small
Heteromeles arbutifolia	Toyon	small
Hesperocyparis (Cupressus) forbesii	Tecate cypress	medium
Prosopis pubescence	Crewbean mesquite	medium
Prunis ilicifolia subsp. lyonii	Catalina cherry	medium
Pinus torreyana	Torrey pine	large
Acer negundo or A. macrophylla	California box elder or big leaf maple	large
Quercus agrifolia	Coast live oak	large

Ornamental shade tree selection.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Drought Tolerance and Evergreen-Deciduous	Size
Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’	Eastern redbud	good, deciduous	small
Eriobatrya deflexa	Bronze loquat	moderate, evergreen	small
Lagerstromia indica	Crape myrtle	good, deciduous	small
Albizzia julibrissin	Mimosa	good, evergreen (deciduous w/frost)	medium
Arbutus x ‘Marina’	Strawberry tree	good, evergreen	medium
Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii’	Fruitless olive tree	very good	medium
Lophostemon confertus	Brisbane box	good, evergreen	large
Jacaranda mimosifolia	Jacaranda	good, semi-deciduous	large
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern magnolia	good, evergreen	large

---